Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2012

Very sweet. Nice!

Neat. Neck pour. 7.5 year old. Super nutty! Geez almost Circus Peanuts even. Nuttiness mixed with a strawberry taffy. Lots of vanilla. Herbal quality to it too. Maybe nutmeg and clove. Hint of mint. Lot going on with this nose. Texture isn’t thin but I wouldn’t describe it as creamy either. Vanilla and cinnamon at first but quietly gives way to the peanuts and taffy. Legs are peanuts and a hint of oak. The taffy comes back in the aftertaste. I associate taffy/bubble gum with young craft whiskey, so surprised to find it here in a 7.5 year Heaven Hill. Luckily it has a lot going on around it to save the experience. Super smooth, light, but flavorful sipper.

A little harsh neat, but mellows significantly with an ice cube. Not a bad sipper, but somewhat unremarkable.

Barreled 25 January 2012 (barrel #430), bottled 16 February 2020. Honey colored and buttery look; thin, sticky legs. Nose is barrel char, peanut, molasses, vanilla. Potpourri tickle in the second wave, orange rind and a dash of cinnamon. The taste is heavier on the herbs & spices: coriander, mint leaf, clove, apricot, with a second wave of apple skins. Finish is charcoal, mint, chocolate and a tannic pucker. The barrel char takes on more of a sherry-like component, with a metallic, inky astringency. This is a heck of a bargain for $25.